Football as a universal language and as a key to discovering Italian: this is the heart of the seminar “Italian FOOTBALL – A playing field for learning Italian!” , which returns in May with its second edition.
The initiative is promoted by the Department of Italian Studies of the National University of Rosario in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy , and sees Neapolitan sports journalist Nico Erbaggio and Rosario professor and photojournalist Ramiro Ortega in the chair – on Zoom.
A friendship that began in 2017 on a real soccer field, when Erbaggio was in Rosario for an AISEC project and Ortega was teaching Italian and collaborating with the Newell's Old Boys press office . "On that occasion ," Erbaggio says, " I visited the stadium, the locker rooms, the pitch. It all started there. A seed that, after years of ideas, finally took shape."
In 2022, the bond strengthened when Ortega came to Naples. The idea for the seminar was proposed to the University of Rosario , which immediately embraced the project's originality. The first edition was a success , fueled by a shared passion: for football and Italian culture. "The students ," says Erbaggio, " were hungry, not just for football but for Italianness. It was wonderful to see them so engaged."
The seminar, entirely online and free , aims to teach the Italian language through football terminology, transforming the sport into a powerful educational tool. But the project doesn't stop there: the two creators are already working on a Spanish version for Italians , dedicated to Argentine football fans. Further proof that football not only unites, but educates.
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This seminar seems very interesting and useful to learn Italian, but I don't know if football is really the best way to teach the language. Maybe there are other more effective methods to consider.